[tuesday in cambridge] Gary Jules @ T.T. the Bear's

I have a bet going on with my music editor regarding tomorrow night’s show at T.T. The Bear’s Place featuring GARY JULES. Five dollars is on the line here, folks.

That being said, it should be a pretty wonderful show. Since 1998’s Greetings from the Side through 2006’s self-titled release, Jules has made quite a name for himself among the folk artists currently working in the United States. His Wikipedia page lists the countless times his songs have been used in television programs and movies, notes his collaborations with directors like Michel Gondry, and makes special mention of his being featured in a play directed by none other than Philip Seymour Hoffmann. When was the last time you heard a Philip Seymour Hoffmann-directed play mention a folk artist by name? I don’t think I ever have, frankly, but I haven’t seen Synecdoche, New York recently.

Jules, in bringing his brand of sweetly-soft folk rock to Boston, will undoubtedly also bring lots of that comfortable, warm feelings you get right before you go to sleep for you to enjoy. The show may not come with a free blanket, but trust me, you may want to bring your own. No binkies, though -- after all, this is a rock club -- but perhaps a few tears in one’s beer will be acceptable. They probably won’t serve you glasses of warm milk, either, if I know the venue. Tickets will be $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and doors are at 8 PM. For some bizarre reason, it’s 18+. Really? Then again, everybody who knows who he is is probably at least in their 20s, but I can’t imagine how it would be unsafe to bring a kid to this show.

As far as the wager -- I win! 257. That’s two-hundred-and-fifty-seven words. Seven over the limit, and the source for the bet: 257 words without mentioning what made him famous: his cover of Tears For Fears’ “Mad World.” I think I may have just done the writer equivalent of setting a new land speed record. Phew. Cough up that dough, man. I’ve got some bills to pay.

Nick Johnston is the music intern here at the Boston Phoenix. This $5 is likely all the money he'll make here this summer.